Freshwater supply system

ABSTRACT

A freshwater supply system that stores fresh water transported by transport ships in storage devices and takes out the fresh water from the freshwater storage devices at need to use the same. The system comprises management device that puts management information together and sends and receives various information of countries for demand of the fresh water, analysis information of the fresh water, and various information of transportation device for transportation of the fresh water to the countries. Magnitudes of movements, prices, origins of movement, and destinations of movement of the fresh water are decided from the information from the management device.

The present application is a divisional of application Ser. No.10/939.343, filed Sep. 14, 2004, which claims benefit to Japanesepriority application no. 2003-322371, filed Sep. 16, 2003, thedisclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in theirentirety into the present application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a system for freshwater transportationand freshwater supply with the use of oil tankers, or the like.

Currently, the number of oil tankers sailing throughout the world issaid to amount to approximately 4,000. Unlike freight ships, oil tankers(referred below to as ships) unload crude oil on buying countries andthen return to petroleum producing countries while being empty. In thiscase, there is a fear that when ships are lightweight, hulls are badbalanced and safe sailing cannot be expected. Hereupon, in order to makehulls stable, ballast water (generally, sea water in crude oil buyingcountries is loaded and after returned to petroleum producing countries,the sea water is discarded) is loaded and ships return to ports.

However, marine pollution causes a serious problem over the world inrecent years, and it is inevitable that a possible international treatywill inhibit sea water loaded as ballast water from being discardedunless being purified. Accordingly, there is a high possibility thatships cannot sail in the future unless they are provided with purifyingapparatuses.

By the way, drinking water, to say nothing of agricultural water,industrial water, is short in petroleum producing countries, in whichoil is drilled and supplied to the world. This is because the climate inpetroleum producing countries is generally semi-dry or dry.

Hereupon, such petroleum producing countries manufacture fresh water bydesalting sea water since natural water cannot meet the demand. In thepresent circumstances, the demand for water exceeds quantities ofdesalted water manufactured in these countries, and desalting is high incost, so that it is not possible to readily increase production.

Incidentally, cost for desalting on land approximately amounts to 3.09dollar/4550 liters (81.5 yen/ton: at the conversion rate of 120 yen tothe dollar).

Cost for marine treatment approximately amounts to 1.59 dollar/4550liters (41.9 yen/ton: at the conversion rate of 120 yen to the dollar).

In particular, the cost on land is as high as 81.5 yen/ton, and tooexpensive to be used for agricultural water and industrial water.

Accordingly, how inexpensively fresh water is supplied is an importantproblem.

Conventional techniques to solve the problem are disclosed in, forexample, JP-A-51-143283 and JP-A-60-209382.

JP-A-51-143283 discloses a method of purifying treatment of fresh waterloaded on a ship with the use of a purifying apparatus loaded on theship, or of floatation separation of pollutant in fresh water afterunloading of the fresh water and purifying treatment in a filteringapparatus.

JP-A-60-209382 discloses measures for accommodating plastic bags, whichreceive therein fresh water, in a hold to transport the same.

According to the disclosure of JP-A-51-143283 and JP-A-60-209382,purifying apparatuses and plastic bags are needed, which is very high incost.

Hereupon, it is conceivable to load domestic wasted water, which isgenerated in crude oil buying countries, as ballast water to use thesame as drinking water and agricultural water in petroleum producingcountries.

Since the domestic wasted water (so-called foul water) contains a largeamount of organic matter such as nitrogen and phosphorus, the water isdrained to rivers and the sea after it is subjected to purifyingtreatment, in which nitrogen and phosphorus are reduced to predeterminedreference values.

In this manner, there is a problem that purifying treatment for removalof nitrogen and phosphorus is costly in the present circumstances.

Incidentally, while it is found that nitrogen and phosphorus iseffective for agricultural fertilizer, use thereof as organic resourcesis given up in Europe and Japan and so they are drained to rivers andthe sea in the present circumstances because a large amount of food isimported from abroad.

Further, while organic fertilizer can be formed from sludge, whichcontains much organic matter such as nitrogen and phosphorus, sludge issubjected to incineration, in which expensive fuel is consumed, in thepresent circumstances because farmland having been used since old timeshas already retained organic matter, etc. adequately.

That is, sewage or sludge, which is effective for fertilizer, is madelittle use of.

It is an object of the invention to provide a freshwater supply systemcapable of making effective use of domestic wasted water, which has beendrained as sewage to rivers or the sea.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above-described object is attained by a freshwater supply systemthat stores fresh water transported by transport ships in storage meansand takes out the fresh water from the freshwater storage means at needto use the same, wherein bacteria removal means removes bacteria from apart of the fresh water, and the part of the fresh water and that freshwater, from which bacteria have not been removed by the bacteria removalmeans, are separately supplied to locations, in which fresh water isneeded, by water supply means.

The above-described object is attained by a freshwater supply systemthat stores fresh water transported by transport ships in storage meansand takes out the fresh water from the freshwater storage means at needto use the same, the system comprising management means that putsmanagement information together and sends and receives variousinformation of countries for demand of the fresh water, analysisinformation of the fresh water, and various information oftransportation means for transportation of the fresh water to thecountries, wherein magnitudes of movements, prices, origins of movement,and destinations of movement of the fresh water are decided from theinformation from the management means.

The above-described object is attained by a freshwater supply systemthat stores fresh water transported by transport ships in storage meansand takes out the fresh water from the freshwater storage means at needto use the same, the system comprising a plurality of freshwater storagemeans, water supply and drainage means that connects the plurality offreshwater storage means mutually, freshwater stock detection meansprovided in the freshwater storage means, and traffic volume controlmeans that operates on the basis of data from the freshwater stockdetection means, wherein the water supply and drainage means controlstraffic volumes of fresh water between the plurality of freshwaterstorage means.

The above-described object is attained by a freshwater supply systemthat stores fresh water transported by transport ships in storage meansand takes out the fresh water from the freshwater storage means at needto use the same, the system comprising a plurality of freshwater storagemeans, freshwater transportation means that connects the plurality offreshwater storage means mutually, estimation means for amounts of freshwater consumed on sides, to which fresh water is supplied from therespective freshwater storage means, and traffic volume control meansthat operates on the basis of data from the freshwater consumed amountestimation means, wherein the freshwater transportation means controlstraffic volumes of fresh water among the plurality of freshwater storagemeans.

The above-described object is attained by the above-described freshwatersupply system, wherein data of the freshwater consumed amount estimationmeans on sides supplied with water from the respective freshwaterstorage means include future weather prediction data, which include datain the past and in present, in territories supplied with water.

The above-described object is attained by the above-described freshwatersupply system, wherein data of the freshwater consumed amount estimationmeans on sides supplied with fresh water from the respective freshwaterstorage means include data of growth process of plant supplied withwater, and picture data representative of growth state.

The above-described object is attained by a freshwater supply systemthat stores fresh water transported to a plurality of land territoriesby a transport ship in storage means and takes out the fresh water fromthe freshwater storage means at need to use the same, wherein transportdestination instruction means of the transport ship that instructstransport destinations of the transport ship having the fresh water tothe land territories controls traffic volumes on the basis of data fromfreshwater stock detection means provided in the freshwater storagemeans in land territories.

The above-described object is attained by the above-described freshwatersupply system, further comprising management means that connectstogether, in Internet, at least one information of data of thefreshwater stock detection means, weather prediction data, data of plantgrowth process, data of freshwater consumed amount estimation means,data of freshwater quality detection means, data of prices of receivedfresh water, and data of destination instruction means, and managesprocurement, arrangement, and distribution of the information.

The above-described object is attained by a freshwater supply systemthat transports fresh water supplied from a plurality of water sourcesby a transport ship to store the same in storage means and takes out thefresh water from the freshwater storage means at need to use the same,wherein destination instruction means instructs destinations, towardwhich the transport ship transporting the fresh water should sail, onthe basis of data from detection means that detects volumes andqualities of fresh water of the water sources.

The above-described object is attained by a freshwater supply systemthat transports fresh water supplied from a plurality of water sourcesby a transport ship to store the same in storage means in landterritories and takes out the fresh water from the freshwater storagemeans at need to use the same, wherein destination instruction means ofthe transport ship instructs destinations of water sources, toward whichthe transport ship transporting the fresh water should sail, on thebasis of data from freshwater detection means that detects prices ofreceived water from the fresh water in the water sources.

The above-described object is attained by a freshwater supply systemthat transports fresh water supplied from a plurality of water sourcesby a transport ship to store the same in storage means in landterritories and takes out the fresh water from the freshwater storagemeans at need to use the same, wherein at least one information of dataof the fresh water from water quality detection means, data of prices ofreceived fresh water, information of instruction of destination, anddocuments of permission on freshwater receiving sides, is interconnectedin Internet, buying and selling of the fresh water is concluded throughinformation management means, and quality information of the transportedfresh water is distributed to transport destinations in Internet.

The above-described object is attained by a freshwater supply systemthat loads fresh water as ballast water on ships having been unloaded,wherein the fresh water comprises domestic wasted water, organicfertilizer is formed from sludge, which is generated in a process oftreatment of the domestic wasted water, and the organic fertilizer istransported to transport destinations of freshwater with the use of theships.

According to the invention, it is possible to provide a freshwatersupply system capable of making effective use of domestic wasted water,which has been drained as sewage to rivers or the sea.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent from the following description of the embodiments of theinvention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIGS. 1A and 1B are views showing a system configuration according to anembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view showing flow of ballast water being supplied to a ship,according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a view showing flow of ballast water being supplied to a ship,according to a further embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a view showing purification flow of ballast water according tothe further embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a view showing flow in a ballast-water supply managementsystem according to a still further embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference toFIGS. 1A and 1B.

(First Embodiment)

FIG. 1A is a view showing a system configuration, in which domesticwasted water containing a large amount of organic matter is subjected topurifying treatment, the treated fresh water is filled in a hold or aballast water tank of a transport ship such as tanker, etc. to betransported to a dry or semi-dry territory.

FIG. 1B is a view showing a system configuration, in which fresh wateris conveyed from a transport ship to a holding tank on shore or at seaand supplied to a group of tanks in a region where fresh water isconsumed.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating, in further detail, the system shownin FIGS. 1A and 1B.

Domestic wasted water discharged from residential means 1 such asapartments, etc. is conveyed through underground sewers 2, etc. to asewage-treatment plant 3, in which plant organic matter, etc. indomestic wasted water is purified by the coagulating sedimentationsystem, the activated sludge method, which makes use of microorganism,etc. to be cleared of most suspended substances (SS), and substantiallytransparent treated water is obtained.

However, the treated water in this stage does not meet the effluentwater quality standard for rivers and streams in Japan, for example, T-N(total nitrogen content), T-P (total phosphorus content), odor, theresidual number of colon bacilli, etc.

Next, the treated water passes through a pipe 4 to have odor removed andharmful microorganism such as colon bacilli, bacilli sterilized by asterilization/deodorization apparatus 5, which houses an ozonegenerator, an ultraviolet ray generator, a plasma generator, anactivated charcoal absorption agent, an acidic water generator withelectrolysis, etc. and is stored in a treated water tank in theapparatus. Accordingly, the final treated water is fresh water, of whichT-N and T-P do not meet the effluent water quality standard, and iseutrophic fresh water.

The eutrophic fresh water passes through a ground or underground pipe 7to be conveyed to a freshwater storage tank 8 on the shore, whichaffords supply to a ship. Conveyance of the eutrophic fresh water to thefreshwater storage tank 8 may be performed by means of tank lorries.Also, a part of the pipe 7 may extend on a riverbed or sea floor, andthe storage tank 8 may be fixed to a river zone or a sea zone or mountedto float thereon.

A ship that needs ballast water, for example, a tanker 6, from whichcrude oil is unloaded, is supplied with the eutrophic fresh water fromthe freshwater storage tank 8 via a pipe 9 a.

Also, the tanker 6 can receive the eutrophic fresh water from afreshwater storage tank 108 on another spot via a pipe 10.

Also, eutrophic fresh water generated from a sewage-treatment plant 11in a foreign country may pass through a ground or underground pipe 12 tobe conveyed to a freshwater storage tank 13 on the shore, which affordssupply to a ship. A tanker 6, in which ballast water can be furtherfilled, is supplied with the eutrophic fresh water from the freshwaterstorage tank 13 via a pipe 14.

The tanker 6 sails to a crude-oil supply territory to dischargeeutrophic fresh water, which is filled as ballast water, to a tankinstalled on shore or at sea, or a first freshwater storage tank 15,which is a tank of a ship for reception of ballast-water, through a pipe9 b, and then the tanker 6 moves to a crude-oil supply territory to loadcrude oil fully.

The eutrophic fresh water in the first freshwater storage tank 15 is fedto a first freshwater conveyance facility 17, which has pumps as waterconveyance means, via a pipe 16, and then is conveyed via pipes 18, 19,20 from there to secondary freshwater storage facilities 21, 22, 23present in farmlands or vegetative regions 24, 33, 60. An amount beingconveyed is regulated according to water levels in tanks in thesecondary freshwater storage facilities 21, 22, 23 and the use plan offresh water.

The eutrophic fresh water from the secondary water storage facility 21is distributed through through pipes 26 a, 27 to tertiary freshwaterstorage facilities 25, 26 arranged around the farmland or the vegetativeregion 24. In the case where the farmland or the vegetative region 24 isvast, the farmland or the vegetative region 24 receives the eutrophicfresh water from both the secondary water storage facility 21 via a pipe29 and from the tertiary freshwater storage facilities 25, 26 via pipes30, 31.

Likewise, the eutrophic fresh water transported as ballast water is alsodistributed to a farmland or a vegetative region 32. The eutrophic freshwater is distributed also to the farmland or the vegetative region 32from the tertiary freshwater storage facility 25 through a pipe 41, atertiary freshwater storage facility 36 through a pipe 39 and from afourth freshwater storage facility 38 through a pipe 40, to which theeutrophic fresh water is distributed from the tertiary freshwaterstorage facility 36 through a pipe 37.

The eutrophic fresh water is distributed to the farmland or thevegetative region 33 from the secondary water storage facility 21through a pipe 46, the secondary freshwater storage facility 23 througha pipe 44 and a tertiary water storage facility 43 through a pipe 45, towhich the eutrophic fresh water is distributed via a pipe 42 from thesecondary freshwater storage facility 23.

The eutrophic fresh water is distributed to a farmland or a vegetativeregion 34 from the tertiary water storage facility 43 through a pipe 51,a tertiary freshwater storage facility 48 through a pipe 52, to whichthe eutrophic fresh water is distributed via a pipe 47 from thesecondary freshwater storage facility 23, a fourth freshwater storagefacility 50 through a pipe 53, to which the eutrophic fresh water isdistributed via a pipe 49 from the tertiary freshwater storage facility48 and the fourth freshwater storage facility 38 through a pipe 54.

The eutrophic fresh water is distributed to the farmland or thevegetative region 60 via a pipe 63 from the secondary freshwater storagefacility 22.

Further, the eutrophic fresh water passes through a secondary freshwaterwater-conveyance facility 57, which has pumps as water conveyance means,via a pipe 56 from a first freshwater storage tank 55, which receiveseutrophic fresh water transported as ballast water from other tankers 6,and is conveyed to a tertiary freshwater storage facility 59 via a pipe58.

The eutrophic fresh water is distributed to the farmland or thevegetative region 60 through a fourth freshwater storage facility 62 viaa pipe 64 from a tertiary freshwater storage facility 59.

Further, the eutrophic fresh water is moved via a pipe 65 between thesecondary freshwater storage facility 22 and the tertiary freshwaterstorage facility 59.

In this manner, according to the embodiment, eutrophic fresh watertransported as ballast water for ships through a network of storagefacilities is sufficiently distributed to an extended desert, watershort farmland in desert, and vegetative regions, so that it is possibleto raise vegetables and fruit trees in farmland and vegetative regionsto rear agriculture.

Further, afforestation enables raising flowers and pasture grass, andbreeding livestock such as cattle, goat, etc. to supply meat to outsideregions being supplied.

Also, while the embodiment has been described with respect to a systemthat supplies water to farmlands or vegetative regions, the same effectis produced in a system that supplies water to industrial districts orresidential areas, which are regions for water distribution in place offarmlands or vegetative regions. That is, the same freshwater supplysystem is used to enable supplying cheap fresh water to waterdistribution facilities that supply industrial water and sprinkle waterto industrial districts or residential areas. Also, it is possible inresidential areas to use eutrophic fresh water as raw water formanufacture of drinking water.

The embodiment produces an advantageous effect that even if nitrogen andphosphorus remain much, treated domestic wasted water, which isodorless, of which harmful microorganism such as colon bacilli, bacilliare sterilized, and which is inexpensive and safe for the human body,can be filled as ballast water in ships such as oil tankers, etc., andprovided and distributed as agricultural water to extended farmlands orvegetative regions in dry or semi-dry territories at a cheap transportcost, and can be inexpensively provided and distributed as industrialwater and sprinkle water to industrial districts or residential areas ofhigh consumption demand for water.

Further, ballast water is loaded on ships, which are to be filled withthe ballast water, in a location where the ballast water is filled, andorganic fertilizer manufactured from sludge generated from treatment ofdomestic wasted water can be unloaded in a destination, to which ballastwater is transported, and sold to be used as organic fertilizer infarmlands or vegetative regions.

Accordingly, the embodiment produces an advantageous effect that it ispossible to reduce expenses for treatment of domestic wasted water on aside of a freshwater supply country and to effectively reduce organicfertilizer to agricultural land and an advantageous effect that bytransporting eutrophic fresh water and organic fertilizer abroad,organic matter is reduced in organic fertilizer production countries anddischarge of organic compound to the environment is reduced to preventeutrophication of environmental water to purify the environment.

Further, according to the invention, since ballast water is notdischarged to the sea, which is outside ballast-water purificationregulations, it is not necessary to install any purifying facility inships, so that it is possible in the future to expect an effect thatcost for installation of purifying facilities and cost for operation ofpurifying facilities are made unnecessary to enable reducing cost forsailing of ships.

A further embodiment of the invention will be described with referenceto FIGS. 3 and 4.

A difference between the system shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 and the systemshown in FIGS. 1 and 2 resides in a system for management ofdistribution of unloaded fresh water, amount of fresh water to bestored, amount of distribution, and quality of water as distributed, andin particular, the provision of a method of furnishing fresh waterinexpensively. Further, the difference resides in that a supply systemprovides a system for management of delivery amount and quality of wateras distributed to deliver fresh water to dry or semi-dry territories,farmland of high consumption demand for agricultural water, industrialinstallation, and drinking water treatment facilities.

FIG. 3 shows a part of the water distribution system shown in FIG. 1.

The eutrophic fresh water in the first freshwater storage tank 15 passesthrough the first freshwater conveyance facility 17, which has pumps aswater conveyance means, via the pipe 16, and is conveyed via the pipes18, 19, 20 from there to the secondary freshwater storage facilities 21,22, 23 and further to the tertiary freshwater storage facilities 25, 26,36, 43, 48 to be distributed to the farmland or the vegetative regions24, 32, 33, 34, 60.

Amounts being conveyed to tanks in the secondary freshwater storagefacilities 21, 22, 23 from the first freshwater storage tank 15 areregulated according to water levels in freshwater tanks in therespective secondary freshwater storage facilities and the use plan offresh water.

Hygrometers and thermometers in farmlands or vegetative regions, datainformation of harvest raising picture data required for raisingharvest, etc. and information of water levels, amounts of fresh water tobe stored, and quality of fresh water in freshwater tanks of firstfreshwater storage tanks, second freshwater storage tanks are measured.The information as measured is transmitted by radio or wiredcommunication to an information transmission, data analysis devices, awater management control analysis, control data transmission device 166of a data integrated control facility 165 from an informationtransmission device 163 and an information transmission, control datareception, data analysis device 164.

In the data integrated control facility 165, amounts of sprinkling waterin farmland, time zone of sprinkling, quality of sprinkling water, andamounts of water being delivered to water storage facilities aresubjected to numerical analysis from those humidity and temperature infarmland, harvest raising picture data, and future weather predictiondata including data in the past and at present, which are received, anda computer is used to determine a control method and control values.

The necessary data are respectively transmitted by radio or wiredcommunication to the information transmission, control data reception,data analysis devices 164 in the first freshwater storage tanks and thesecondary freshwater storage facilities, and conveying pumps and flowcontrol valves in the secondary freshwater storage facilities controlamounts of water being conveyed to the secondary freshwater storagefacilities from the first freshwater storage tanks, and amounts of waterbeing conveyed to respective farmlands from the secondary freshwaterstorage facilities.

Qualities of water being conveyed to respective farmlands are determinedaccording to growing states of harvest. For example, since a problem iscaused when pathogenic bacteria are mixed in fresh water for crop attime just before a harvest time, fresh water further purified issupplied.

Referring to FIG. 4, fresh water is supplied via the pipe 18 to thesecondary freshwater storage facility 21 from the first freshwaterstorage facility 17 (shown in FIG. 3) to be stored in a water storagetank 67. Ordinarily, fresh water in the water storage tank 67 ispressurized by a pump 68 with the quality remained, and controlled inflow rate by a flow control valve 69 to be distributed via the pipe 29to the farmland or the vegetative region 24 (shown in FIG. 2).

On the other hand, in the case where fresh water is to be purified inhigh quality, fresh water in the water storage tank 67 is pressurized bya pump 70 to be controlled in flow rate by a regulating valve 71 andconveyed to purification means 72. The purification means 72 comprisesan ultraviolet sterilizing apparatus, an ozone sterilizing apparatus,and a membrane filtrating apparatus, and pathogenic bacteria in thetreated fresh water are sterilized, removed so that the fresh water ispurified.

The purified fresh water is stored in a purified water tank 73. Thepurified fresh water in the purified water tank 73 is pressurized by apump 74 to be controlled in flow rate by a flow control valve 75 to bedistributed via the pipe 29 to the farmland or the vegetative region 24(shown in FIG. 3). Information of water level of the fresh water in thewater storage tank 67 and of water level and water quality in thepurified water tank 73 is transmitted via data wiring 76, 77 to theinformation transmission, control data reception, data analysis device164.

Amounts of fresh water being conveyed are controlled by controlling theoperation of the pump 68 and the valve opening degree of the flowcontrol valve 69 through control wiring 78, 79. Amounts of purifiedfresh water being conveyed are controlled by controlling the operationof the pump 74 and the valve opening degree of the flow control valve 75through control wiring 80, 81. Further, an amount of fresh water beingconveyed to the purification means 72 from the water storage tank 67 iscontrolled by controlling the operation of the pump 70 and the valveopening degree of the flow control valve 71 through control wiring 82,83.

According to the embodiment, in the case where fresh water, of whichbacteria such as colon bacilli, etc. being harmful to the human body areremoved or sterilized, is supplied as sprinkling water to harvest in thefarmland or the vegetative region 24 at a harvest time, the informationtransmission, control data reception, data analysis device 164 receivesa command from the data integrated control facility 165 (shown in FIG.3) to control the pumps and the flow control valves.

The purified fresh water being distributed is sprinkled on vegetables,such as cabbage, etc. until crop, and vegetables can be harvested in asafe state. However, not a little cost is necessary in purifyingtreatment.

Since fresh water for sprinkling can be purified only at time beforecrop on the basis of harvest raising picture data, the cost fortreatment in the embodiment can be restricted to a minimum by purifyingan amount of necessity minimum.

(Third Embodiment)

FIG. 5 shows a still further embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a system according to the still furtherembodiment of the invention.

A difference between the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 and the embodimentshown in FIGS. 1 and 2 concerns filling of fresh water containingdomestic wasted water in ships and resides in constructing aballast-water management system that can ensure supply locations offresh water throughout the world and control where oceangoing ships canbe filled with ballast water in a most inexpensive operation and in ashortest time.

That is, the ballast-water management system makes it possible to fillballast water, which is fresh water, in an A country, receiveinformation of fresh water stock in a B country in the case where anamount of fresh water in the A country is short of a necessary amount,and fill fresh water corresponding to shortage, as ballast water, in theB country on the basis of the information. Further, with theballast-water management system, it is possible to fill ballast water,which is sea water, in the A country, discharge the ballast water, whichis sea water, in the B country, and fill fresh water, which is treatedwater composed of domestic wasted water, in the B country, in whichsupply is cheaper than that in the A country. Further, it is possible tofill cheap fresh water conformed to an allowable water quality in adestination of supply of ballast water on the basis of information withrespect to water quality of treated water composed of domestic wastedwater.

Referring to FIG. 5, in the A country, eutrophic fresh water having beentreated in a sewage-treatment plant 84, in which domestic wasted watercontaining a large amount of organic matter is purified, passes via apipe 85 through a sterilization/deodorization apparatus 86, which housesan ozone generator, an ultraviolet ray generator, a plasma generator, anactivated charcoal absorption agent, an acidic water generator withelectrolysis, etc., and is conveyed via a pipe 87 to a freshwaterstorage tank 88 on the shore, which affords supply to ships. Data ofstock and water quality in the freshwater storage tank 88 areconcentratedly transmitted by radio, wired communication, or Internet toa ballast-water management apparatus 91 in a ballast-water managementcenter 90, which includes a ballast-water management system, from aninformation transmission/reception device 89.

Further, when the tanker 6 inputs a required amount of ballast water andinformation of a transport destination into the ballast-water managementapparatus 91 of the ballast-water management center 90 through aninformation communication device 92, a supply location of ballast waterand an amount being filled are calculated and controlled on the basis ofinformation of ballast water and water quality in respective countries,in which ballast water is stocked, and the ballast-water managementapparatus 91 of the ballast-water management center 90 transmits andinstructs a demand for a destination to touch and stay, an amount beingfilled, unit cost of ballast water, and date and hour of filling, to theinformation communication device 92 of the tanker 6.

A name of a tanker to touch and stay, an amount being supplied andfilled, and date and hour of filling are transmitted and instructed tothe information transmission/reception device 89 of the freshwaterstorage tank 88. A destination, to which fresh water being transportedis supplied, water quality, and date and hour of filling are transmittedand instructed via Internet or the like to a freshwater receivingfacility being a transport destination, and information of permission ofreceipt is received by the ballast-water management apparatus 91 of theballast-water management center 90, on the basis of results of which thetanker 6 transmits a required amount of ballast water to the informationcommunication device 92.

In the B country, eutrophic fresh water having been treated in asewage-treatment plant 94, in which domestic wasted water containing alarge amount of organic matter is purified, passes via a pipe 95 througha sterilization/deodorization apparatus 96, which houses an ozonegenerator, an ultraviolet ray generator, a plasma generator, anactivated charcoal absorption agent, an acidic water generator withelectrolysis, etc., and is conveyed via a pipe 97 to a freshwaterstorage tank 98 on the shore, which affords supply to ships. Data ofstock and water quality in the freshwater storage tank 98 areconcentratedly transmitted by radio, wired communication, or Internet tothe ballast-water management apparatus 91 in the ballast-watermanagement center 90, which includes a ballast-water management system,from an information transmission/reception device 99.

For example, in accordance with an instruction from the ballast-watermanagement center 90, the tanker 6 is filled with fresh water as a partof ballast water, an amount of which enables safe sailing, via a pipe 93from the freshwater storage tank 88 in the A country, and then sails tothe B country in accordance with an instruction from the ballast-watermanagement center 90 to be filled with a required amount of fresh watervia a pipe 100 from the freshwater storage tank 98 in the B country.

Then, the tanker sails to a transport destination country, from whichpermission for distribution of ballast water is obtained, and sells anddistributes fresh water to the transport destination country. The tankeris filled with sea water as ballast water in the transport destinationcountry, and sails to a sea area, in which crude oil is received, todischarge ballast water and receive crude oil inboard. The ballast-watermanagement center manages volume of transactions of fresh water andtransaction expenses collectively, and performs management of waterquality information of ballast water and pay analysis service of waterquality of ballast water, and the ballast-water management centerreceives, as service charge, managing expense of information and a partof fee of trading.

According to the embodiment, since amounts and water qualities ofdomestic wasted water can be collectively managed throughout the world,information of filling locations capable of supplying ballast water canbe offered to ships, which need fresh water as ballast water, andinformation of water quality is beforehand communicated to a country, towhich ballast water is to be supplied, so that permission for receipt ofballast water based on the water quality standard in that country, towhich ballast water is to be supplied, can be communicated to the ship.

Accordingly, when ballast water is filled in a ship, an owner of theship can get permission for receipt of ballast water, so that a requestfor permission is not necessary on a side of the ship and it is notnecessary to perform any office routine for transportation of ballastwater, thus enabling achieving a decrease in business expense.

Further, according to the embodiment, it is possible to fill fresh wateron the basis of data of freshwater stock detection means, communicate atransport destination of a transport ship to the transport ship inaccordance with an instruction from the ballast-water management center90, and get permission for receipt at the transport destination from theballast-water management center 90, so that there is produced anadvantageous effect that even when a transport destination is urgentlychanged, such change can be quickly accommodated for.

As described above, according to the invention, not only presentreturning tankers are increased in use value but also a demand for waterin, for example, dry territories along the Bay of Arabia is met. Also,there is provided a method, by which expenses for treatment of domesticwasted water on a side of freshwater supply countries are reduced, andorganic fertilizer is effectively reduced to farmland.

Since present returning tankers can get information of locations, inwhich ballast water is filled, and information of permission for receiptof ballast water through communication means such as Internet or thelike, it is possible to efficiently carry out transportation of ballastwater.

While the invention has been described in association with applicationof treated water of domestic wasted water as fresh water, the sameadvantageous effect is produced even when fresh water comprisesinexpensive river water and lake water.

In particular, the same effect is produced even in the case whereballast water being sea water conveyed from a foreign country isdischarged to a sea area in that country, which is somewhere while theship sails, and which has not ratified an international treaty forballast-water quality control, inexpensive river water, or lake water isinstead filled as ballast water in the country, and the fresh water istransported to dry territories.

Further, while the invention has been described in association withconveyance of fresh water as ballast water for ships, the same effect isproduced with respect to an integrated control system for giving andreceiving, supply and delivery of fresh water also in the case wherefresh water is filled in plastic bags and the plastic bags are towed andconveyed by ships.

The invention produces an effect that even if T-N and T-P remain much,treated domestic wasted water, which is odorless, of which harmfulmicroorganism such as colon bacilli, bacilli are sterilized, and whichis inexpensive and safe for the human body, can be filled as ballastwater in ships such as oil tankers, etc., and transported at a cheaptransport cost, so that inexpensive fresh water can be provided anddistributed as agricultural water to extended farmland or vegetativeregions in dry or semi-dry territories.

Also, ballast water is loaded on ships in a location where the ballastwater is filled, and organic fertilizer manufactured from sludgegenerated from treatment of domestic wasted water can be unloaded in adestination, to which ballast water is transported, and sold to be usedas organic fertilizer in farmlands or vegetative regions. Accordingly,the embodiment produces an effect that it is possible to reduce expensesfor treatment of domestic wasted water on a side of a freshwater supplycountry and to effectively reduce organic fertilizer to agriculturalland and an effect that by transporting eutrophic fresh water andorganic fertilizer abroad, organic matter is reduced in organicfertilizer production countries and discharge of organic compound to theenvironment is reduced to prevent eutrophication of environmental waterto purify the environment.

According to the embodiment, since amounts and water qualities ofdomestic wasted water can be collectively managed throughout the world,information of filling locations capable of supplying ballast water canbe offered to ships, which need fresh water as ballast water, andinformation of water quality is beforehand communicated to a country, towhich ballast water is to be supplied, so that information of permissionfor receipt of ballast water based on the water quality standard of thatcountry, to which ballast water is to be supplied, can be communicatedto the ship. Accordingly, when ballast water is filled in a ship, anowner of the ship can get permission for receipt of ballast water, sothat a request for permission is not necessary on a side of the ship andit is not necessary to perform any office routine for transportation ofballast water, thus enabling achieving a decrease in business expense.

It should be further understood by those skilled in the art thatalthough the foregoing description has been made on embodiments of theinvention, the invention is not limited thereto and various changes andmodifications may be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention and the scope of the appended claims.

1. A fresh water supply system that loads fresh water as ballast water on ships which have been unloaded, wherein the fresh water comprises domestic waste water or treated water of domestic wasted water.
 2. A fresh water supply system that loads fresh water as ballast water on ships which have been unloaded, wherein the fresh water comprises river water or lake water. 